• Born: 28 Oct 1017, Bodfeld, Hartz, Germany
• Married (1): 29 Jun 1036, Nijmegen, Gelderland
• Married (2): 21 Nov 1043, Ingelheim, Rheinhessen, Hesse-Darmstadt
• Died: 5 Oct 1056, Burg Bodfeld im Harz, Germany

  Research Notes:

"Cunradus…Romanorum imperator augustus" granted property to the church of Paderborn by charter dated 7 Apr 1027, naming for the first time "filii nostri Heinrici". Wipo names "Heinricus rex, filius imperatoris" when recording his first marriage in 1036.

He was installed in 1027 as HEINRICH VI Duke of Bavaria, until 1042 when he granted the duchy to Graf Heinrich [Luxembourg]. He was crowned as HEINRICH III King of Germany at Aachen 14 Apr 1028. Duke of Swabia 1038-1045. He was installed as king of Burgundy by his father in Autumn 1038. Regent of the duchy of Carinthia 1039-1047. He resumed possession of the duchy of Bavaria from 1047 to 1049. He deposed the three rival Popes Benedict IX, Sylvester III and Gregory VI in 1046, nominating in their place Suidger Bishop of Bamberg, who succeeded as Pope Clement II and crowned him Emperor HEINRICH II at Rome 25 Dec 1046. At the same time Emperor Heinrich received the rank of patricius as a hereditary title, which carried the right to cast the first vote in a papal election, the power of which was reflected in the election of six German popes during the following decade. Emperor Heinrich faced internal opposition in Germany from several powerful magnates, Godefroi II Duke of Lotharingia, Konrad de Luxembourg Duke of Bavaria, Welf III Duke of Carinthia, and Bernhard Billung Duke in Saxony, all of whom were anxious to prevent the centralisation of power in the hands of the king/emperor. A deeply religious man, Emperor Heinrich renewed the ban on clerics taking oaths in court proceedings, refused to follow the practice of bestowing church offices for payment, and laid great emphasis on the sacral character of kingship. He founded the convent of St Simon and Jude at Goslar before 1050.

He died of a fever. The Annales Spirenses record his burial at Speyer. The necrology of St Gall records the death "III Non Oct" of "Heinrici imperatoris". ¹